Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Thank you everyone for your support and prayers. I was able to get my original URL Domain sacerdotus.com back and hope to keep it for a long time. This domain name is very popular with search engines and will bring in even more visits. Deo Gratias! This blog has become a great success thanks to your prayers, visits and support. Please continue to pray for me and donate so that I can continue this work and expand it even further. Hopefully some of you can even join me and we can form an apostolate. :-) Very soon this blog will be listed under www.sacerdotus.com Please visit my other blogs:catholicfaithsharing.blogspot.com - a blog for Catholics to write on and share their faith. rationallyfaithful.blogspot.com - a blog for atheists and others to join in and discuss things in a civil, intellectual and academic manner.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Pope Francis imitating St. Francis visited with 200 Pentecostals in Italy. The congregation is headed by his friend Giovanni Traettino who is a pastor whom the Pope describes as being his "beloved brother."

The Pope addressed the shock of him visiting a Pentecostal worship building by saying that he "went to visit my friends." He spoke of Christian unity, the diversity the Holy Spirit brings and apologized to the Pentecostals for the bad behavior of Catholics during the fascist times in Italy and also prayed the Our Father with them. He said:

"Among those who persecuted and denounced the Pentecostals, almost as if they were crazies who would ruin the race, there were some Catholics. As the pastor of the Catholics, I ask forgiveness for those Catholic brothers and sisters who did not understand and were tempted by the devil..."

As you may know, St. Francis visited Muslims and preached to them. By the grace of God, he was spared from being decapitated which was what happened to one of his friars, brother Berard. Pope Francis is doing the same by reaching out to those outside of the Catholic Church.

This visit is a strong indication that Pope Francis is seeking Christian unity in a different manner as opposed to having theological discussions and ecumenical meetings. He is reaching out to the people heart to heart; going after the lost sheep of Christ who hear His voice but are not part of His main flock (John 10:16).

The visit is interesting indeed because the Pope was welcomed like a rock star. Never in the span of my life both as an atheist and catholic have I heard of a Pentecostal cheering for the Pope. Pentecostals are typically known for their anti-catholic rhetoric. They often call the Pope the "beast of Revelation" or anti-Christ. Moreover, they tend to proselytize more than any other sect by speaking ill of the Blessed Virgin Mary and calling Catholics idolaters for using statues.

This is not the first time Pope Francis has engages Evangelicals. He had spoken to the congregation of Kenneth Copeland via an iPhone video recording. The video was recorded by Tony Palmer who was an Evangelical and who recently died in a motorcycle crash. He was a friend of the Pope and the Pope expressed sadness over his death.

Moreover, before Pope Francis' trip to Brazil for World Youth day, a Pentecostal pastor was proselytizing young Catholics attending the many catechesis workshops around the area. The Pope while on route stopped by his worship place and greeting him and some of his congregants who were left dismayed. It was as if God led the Pope to this man who was obviously not pleased with the Pope visiting Brazil.

Some Catholics are upset that the Pope visited a Pentecostal congregation. These are typically those who are still upset over Vatican II and literally take the heart the term "Militant Church" as if Catholics have to fight non-Catholics and shun them as "heretics."

This is not what authentic Catholicism is. We must show our faith in love, even to our separated brethren. Unfortunately, even some Evangelicals still rooted in hatred are already speculating that Pope Francis is the "anti-Christ" who is creating a "new world religion/government." We must pray for Christian unity that perhaps one day all of these sects will come home to Rome as in the case with Alex Jones who was a Pentecostal pastor who converted to Catholicism and brought his entire congregation into the Catholic Church!

Let us pray for Christian unity and also for the soul of Tony Palmer who also worked hard to bring about unity.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Today is the memorial of the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saints Joachim and Anne.

We know of these two people based on tradition and the apocryphal writing entitled, "Proto-Gospel of James" which was written around the 2nd or 3rd century. This writing is not the Word of God and many scholars do not consider it to be factual, historical or doctrinal. Since the 4th and 5th centuries, devotion to St. Anne was popular in the Eastern rites. This devotion eventually spread to the Western rites in the 10th century.

Tradition has it that St. Anne was born in Bethlehem just like Jesus and married Joachim of Nazareth. Both of them are descendants of David. They gave birth to a young girl who they named Mary. Mary would be immaculately conceived preparing her to bear the Christ child years later. Joachim and Anne raised Mary in the Jewish faith, teaching her the Law and virtuous living. Tradition states that Anne could not have children. Joachim is said to have had a visition from an angel who informed him that Anne would have a daughter.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Pope Francis has been in the news lately for several reasons. Today I am excited to announce that Pope Francis will be visiting the United States of America in 2015.

According to news reports, Pope Francis has accepted the invitation from Archbishop Chaput to attend the World Meeting of Families which is scheduled to take place in September 2015 at Philadelphia. It is speculated that he will visit New York City as well. This is great news indeed! American Catholics can use some encouragement since the last Papal visit by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

Moreover, Pope Francis met with Meriam Ibrahim and her family. Ibrahim was a Muslim Sudanese woman who converted to Christianity. Because of this action, she was accused of abandoning her Muslim faith and was sentenced to death. After much prayer and protests, the court overturned the decision. Meriam Ibrahim immediately sought to leave Sudan but was detained by soldiers at the airport who claimed that she had fake documents. She was eventually let go and left for Rome. Ibrahim is just one of the many Christians who are persecuted by Muslims throughout
the world.

Lastly, how many of us remember the school cafeteria? You walked in after class, stood on line holding a tray. Then you would pass by the different types of food on display and picked what you wanted. Well Pope Francis did just that. He surprised Vatican workers during lunch by entering the cafeteria, waiting in line like everyone else and sitting down to eat with the workers. As you may imagine, they were in shock at the man in white would appear there and sit with them. Immediately the "selfies" began to appear and the men were elated. They said they were nervous but at the same time excited. The workers described the Pope as "down to Earth" and easy to talk to. In an awkward display of excitement, an employee who works at the cash register was scared to give the Pope his bill for his lunch. If you were wondering, he had pasta, cod and grilled tomatoes.

This is nothing new. The Pope made it clear since his election that he wanted to be near the people because he does not like being alone. It saddens me when some make comparisons between this Pope and previous ones as if the ones before him were "less Christian."

The truth of the matter is that we do not know if previous Popes sat and ate with workers. Perhaps this was not photographed so no one should make comparisons between Popes. In any event, Pope Francis is an example of what clergy and other leaders should be.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

First Malaysian flight MH17 was shot down, then a flight from Taiwan crashed due to weather and now an Algerian plane disappeared off the radar. This plane also crashed and is believed to be due to weather. Let us pray for all those who were on these flights and their loved ones. There have been 3 crashes in just one week. It is just disturbing and sad to hear.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

"Obamacare" is once again in the news. Today, two federal appeals courts gave rulings that are confusing everyone. First, a three judge court in the District of Columbia decided that the IRS cannot extend subsides to those who buy insurance via healthcare.gov. However, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decided just hours later that the subsidies were okay.

The White House as usual said they will continue the subsidies, defying the opinion of the course of the District of Columbia. This is the typical Obama administration which decides when and when not to obey judicial orders or laws.

Since its onset, those who understand law and have common sense knew that "Obamacare" was going to be a disaster. The law was just too complicated and did not take into account the many circumstances that will develop. It was rushed through Congress and signed as it was presented as the "best thing since sliced bread." No thought was given to the problems this law would bring. As a matter of fact, not even Nancy Pelosi read it who famously said that (I paraphrase) "we have to pass the law before we can know what's inside."

Monday, July 21, 2014

A New Yorker recently died after being put in a choke hold by a NYPD officer. Eric Garner is seen on a video taken by someone with a cellphone complaining to police that he is always being targeted. Obviously frustrated, he lifted his hand in a gesture showing that he "had enough."

However, one shorter office tried to cuff him while another one almost as tall as Garner, grabbed Garner by the neck in a choke hold and slammed him down. Other officers then jumped in to hold Garner down. One of them even pressed his head into the pavement. Eric Garner did nothing wrong. As a matter of fact, he was being a good Samaritan by breaking up a fight on the sidewalk.

Garner is a big man weighing over 350 lbs. He had asthma and complained that he could not breathe. Despite this cry, the NYPD on the scene continued to hold him down. EMT workers who arrived on the scene did not even perform CPR or provided any other medical assistance. Eric Garner was later pronounced dead. Garner was arrested in the past for petty crimes such as possession of drugs and selling bootleg cigarettes. He even filed a lawsuit against the police citing that he was the target or harassment by cops who "took away his manhood" by humiliating him constantly. The suit was dropped because of problems with the addressed he used to file the lawsuit.

The news is tragic indeed. It is obvious that the NYPD were constantly harassing this guy if he had to file a lawsuit. Unfortunately, it was thrown out and had it not been so, he probably would have been alive today. The use of force by the NYPD in the video is unacceptable. Chokeholds are illegal. They have been illegal since 1994 when an NYPD officer killed Anthony Baez using the same hold. I have always had issue with the "use of force" by police. They can literally do anything to someone from punching, stomping, slapping, kneeing, slamming etc and most of the time not get punished for this abuse. Moreover, anyone who defends him/herself against a cop is charged with a felony. It is totally unfair. If a person is being attacked by the police even during an arrest and fears for his life, he/she should be allowed to use force as well in order to prevent his/her own death.

The officer who put him in a choke hold, 8 year veteran Officer Daniel Pantaleo, was stripped of his gun and badge and put on desk work. Paramedics who did not attend to Garner were also suspended. The cause of Garner's death is inconclusive, but officers at the scene stated he seemed to be having a heart attack. Garner most likely had an asthma attack and suffocated to death; had a heart attack, or had an asthma attack that triggered a heart attack.

It is sad to hear that we lost another life at the hands of those who are there to "Serve and Protect." However, the current Police Commissioner of New York, William J. Bratton has ordered that all NYPD officers be retrained. He also wants to see for himself how officers are trained. This is good news and I applaud him for taking this step instead of trying to sugar coat it as "police work" that was justified. Moreover, I applaud Mayor De Blasio for postponing his vacation to attend to this tragedy.

Let us pray for the repose of the soul of Eric Garner, for his loved ones and for change in the NYPD's culture of aggression and abuse.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

It seems Malaysian Airlines cannot catch a break. Another of its planes went missing but this time the situation is different. Malaysian flight MH17 on a Boeing 777-200 was shot down by missilles on route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. THe flight left at 12:15pm and never made its 13 hour flight. THe pilots and passengers possibily died instantly and did not have any warning of the impending doom from the projectile heading towards them.

All 285 people, many of them children, were killed. The whole situation is heartbreaking and disturbing. Leaders and media pundits are pointing fingers at Russia and Ukrain rebels as being responsible for the shooting down of this flight. The black boxes are trying to be collected in order to figure out what really happened. Voices were overheard on radio frequencies alluding to possible knowledge of the attack by Ukraine rebels. Only time will tell who was really responble.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Today there are many organizations out there claiming to do good for humanity. From the Red Cross, to March of dimes; these organizations have events and fundraisers in order to fund their "charity work." However, a close examination of some of these organizations show something really horrific. They support abortion!

The Charity "Oxfam" is one such example. It was once run by the Quakers sect which promoted social justice and an atmosphere of brotherhood. However, Oxfam today is a secular organization which promotes humanism that hurts humanity. As it stands today, Oxfam uses donations from people to fund abortion. Instead of helping the poor find work, food, homes etc; they are introducing abortion and contraception in order to weed them off the face of the Earth. This is nothing new. Social Elitists such as Margaret Sanger and other eugenicists have posited that the poor are "undesirable." They are the pariah of the Earth who stifle the progress of humanity with their "bad genes," according to them.

I ask all my readers to avoid donating to Oxfam and other organizations that fund abortion and contraception. Getting rid of human lives or preventing them from forming is not how we help people or humanity. Instead, donate to:

Friday, July 18, 2014

"...they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen" Romans 1:25

The words from Sacred Scripture cannot say it any better. Recently, the "Church" of England has its General Synod where both clergy and lay people participate. Instead of a dignified council like that of Vatican II, it looks more like a meeting at Congress.

Anyhow, this General Synod publicly revealed how back this Protestant denomination has gotten. The Synod approved the consecration of female bishops which Catholic and Eastern Orthodox leaders have described as being a huge block towards Christian unity via ecumenism. Moreover, they voted to take out the Devil from the Baptismal rite which calls for those being baptized to renounce Satan and all his works and empty promises. It has also voted to make vestments optional, opening the door to liturgies where celebrants can wear a t shirt and jeans.

This "church" has gone to hell, literally! It has lost whatever sense of Christianity it had since its foundation by King Henry VIII. The removal of the devil was based on the complaints of Anglican priests who claimed churchgoers were confused about this. Come again? How can a churchgoer be confused about Satan and sin?

Has England gotten so bad that its citizens do not know who Satan is? I think even atheists there know about Satan! These priests are full of nonsense, for lack of a better term. One of their clerics, Robert Paterson even stated that the devil is a cartoonish character basically indirectly claiming he does not exist and is just an invention.

The ordination of females as bishop is another big issue. Only men can be priests. This is how Christ wanted it reflecting the marriage of the bride with the groom mentioned in Revelation. Not allowing women to be ordained is not an attack against women or a statement that women are inferior; rather, it is a reflection of the person of Christ as a male who is the groom of the Church. Have female clergy would basically turn the relationship between a priest and the Church into a Lesbian union. This is unacceptable and a complete mockery of the priesthood of Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, the option use of vestments is a big issue even though it just deals with clothing. While clothing is just clothing, the Church has set aside certain forms of clothing to honor God and show the dignity of prayer and worship. The vestments the clergy use is not meant to show social status or to be a sign of vanity. They are meant to glorify God. This is Biblical as well. God in the Old Testament was very specific on how He wanted the ancient Hebrew Liturgy to take place. It will jsut be undignified to see a cleric celebrate Mass in shorts, jeans or whatever he happens to wear that morning. Granted, if a priest is in a poor area or even on a battlefield, then vestments may not be an option and a Mass will still be valid as long as the rubrics are followed; however, the use of vestments is indeed important.

It is said that the Anglican community has succumb to this. However, it is no surprise. This faith community was founded out of the need to break God's law. Henry VIII created his own Christianity in order to give himself a divorce which is not possible in the Catholic Church, the original Christian community founded by Jesus Himself. That being said, hearing of the Anglican community once again defying God and Christianity is not shocking. This "church" was founded upon conforming to the world and sin. However, many Anglicans have already joined the Catholic Church out of disgust for their Anglican church. It has sunk further into the cesspool of apostasy and many of its followers left it to join the bark of Peter. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI - a genius- formulated a way to bring them home to Rome while at the same time allowing them to keep their Liturgies. I predict many millions more will come home to Rome and the "church" of England will fall faster than London's bridge.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Tonight, NFL draftee Michael Sam who caused an uproar for kissing his partner on live television received the Arthur Ashe award for Courage during the ESPY awards.

This award is usually given to a sports figure, but others have received it as well. Many people have taken to social media to talk about tonight's awards and its recipient. Those who are supportive of the LGBT lifestyle have been showing pity towards Michael Sam especially after his moving speech where he became emotional. However, others are upset that he got the award just for being gay. Moreover, the media and others are very supportive of Michael Sam, yet have attacked Tim Tebow in the past for being a devote Christian. Tebow is known for painting Bible verses under his eyes and for praying publicly on the field. He has received much ridicule for this.

In contrast, Michael Sam is just a draftee and is being treated like the best player in the NFL just for kissing another guy on national television. There is something seriously wrong with our society. It is scary to think that being Christian now is seen as something negative or evil, while being gay is something that is looked upon with joy, positively and is endorsed as a "moral" lifestyle. In this case tonight, it is even awarded. While I am not looking to attack Michael Sam or his partner; both seem like humble young men, I am merely focusing on how Christianity is being attacked while homosexuality is being favored and supported. I personally do not think Michael Sam deserved the award. Derek Jeter could have been a better choice.

Many people took to social media to even highlight the absurdity of this award. They have been tweeting on: #NewEspyCategories which is full of satirical categories for the ESPY awards. Obviously these people see that these awards are not serious at all in regards to awarding excellence but instead seek to promote an alternative lifestyle. We all must wake up and see what is really going on. The LGBT agenda is using awards, the media, music, movies in order to push their ideas on all, especially the youth. It is time that we boycott these programs and supporters of the LGBT agenda.

While I undestand the LGBT people have faced many hardships, -we all do- the lifestyle they live is not healthy, moral or natural. The LGBT people have the highest rates of mental illness, HIV and STD infection rates than any other group. This is not a lifestyle we should promote.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Derek Jeter just played in his last All Star Game. He announced back in the fall of 2013 that this would be his last season. The crowd at Target field gave him a standing ovation when he was announced and then when he came up to bat. When his turn was over and he had to let the backup shortstop take over, he received another ovation from the crowd including the other All Star players who represented various teams in MLB.

Derek Jeter is a class act and a good role model for kids in sports. He never had a fight on the field, never got ejected by an umpire, never took drugs or enhancement products, he was never suspended and so forth. He played by the rules and represented his family well who never missed a game he played in. He will be missed by New York Yankee fans and all fans of baseball.

His American league team won the game researving home field advantage for the World Series. Perhaps Jeter play in that as well and win his sixth ring?

Monday, July 14, 2014

Kateri Tekawitha was a Native American who converted to Catholicism. She born in town of Auriesville, New York in 1656. Tekawith was the daughter of a Mohawk Warrior and was known as the "Lily of the Mohawks."

At a young age she contracted small pox which left her extremely scarred and nearly blind. She was baptized Catholic when she was 20. After her conversion, she faced many hardships including harsh treatment from her tribe.

She spent her life in prayer, penance and caring for the sick in Canada. Nothing would stop her from doing these things, not even the harsh northern winters where she would wait in the cold for Mass until the chapel opened. She died at age 24 and was declared venerable in 1943 and later beatified by Saint John Paul II in 1980. Her feast day is on July 14.

Tekawitha is now the first Native American saint in the Catholic Church. She was canonized by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on October 21, 2012. St. Tekawitha is the patron said of ecology and the environment.

Prayer:

Lord God, You called the virgin Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, to shine among the American Indian people as an example of innocence of life. Through her intercession, may all peoples of every tribe, tongue and nation, having been gathered into Your Church, proclaim your greatness in one song of praise. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Germany has just won the World Cup 2014 in Brazil! They have worked hard for it and have earned it. After all the match-ups, it was Argentina and Germany who were left to battle it out for the cup. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was even present for the final game. Argentina could not score despite doing so well in previous games. Their star, Lionel Messi was not too happy with the outcome. Despite receiving an award himself, he made no attempt to mask his disappointment by demonstrating for all a serious gloomy face.

This is unfortunately indeed. It is only a game Messi, cheer up! There is nothing worse in sports than a sore loser who cannot summon up integrity and enjoy the moment even if the victory was not on his/her side. What surprised me most was the crying. There was so much crying everywhere it seemed as if it were a funeral instead of a sporting event! Again, it is only a game!

Anyhow, congratulations to Germany. I am sure Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is smiling in the Vatican now. I hope Pope Francis did not make any wagers. :-)

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Once again Pope Francis is making headlines for supposed comments he made to atheist reporter Eugenio Scalfari in the Italian newspaper "La Repubblica." In this report, Scalfari claims that Pope Francis stated that "2% of Catholic clergy are pedophiles." He continued (supposedly) that pedophilia is a "leprosy" in the Church.

I am not sure what to make of this because according to Fr. Lombardi, spokesman for the Vatican, he said that the interview was not an interview, but a conversation. Lombardi also added that this "interview" that's not an interview was not recorded basically alluding that Scalfari may have given his own spin on the Pope's words. This may be the case and is not the first time the media has taken the Popes words out of context.

The news has been trending around the internet, especially among atheists who claim to want to rid the world or religion, but always are the first to know what's going on in the world of religion; sometimes before religious people including yours truly!

I will update this blog post if necessary if/when anymore information comes out.

Before we can disbelieve or reject something whether conceptual or not, we first have to be aware of that something or concept. I cannot reject the idea of aliens in space or lack belief in aliens in space without first knowing what an alien is. Similarly, I cannot reject the concept of God or lack belief in God without first knowing what God is.

This is why atheism cannot be the default. One must first have knowledge of God as a person or concept before making the decision not to believe or to reject this person or concept. Scientist Graham Lawton, an atheist himself stated that atheism is naturally impossible. It is a deviancy in the norm of human evolution. He writes that human beings are "born to believe." They are cognitively hard wired to find the idea of God "plausible and appealing." Atheism is a social construct just like being "American" or "African." These labels are not part of natural evolutionary formation. They are constructions of the human social order used to identify individuals or groups. Atheism is not part of our natural hard-wiring. We become atheists after making a decision to reject God and not believe.

Moreover, psychologist and anthropologist Pascal Boyer -also atheist- in his journal essay "Being Human: Religion: Bound to believe?" writes: "Religious thought and behavior can be considered part of the natural human capacities, such as music, political systems, family relations or ethnic coalitions. ...religious thoughts seem to be an emergent property of our standard cognitive capacities" He argues that religious belief is part of the natural capacity of the human being. He writes, “Atheism will always be a harder sell than religion, because a slew of cognitive traits predisposes us to faith."

*Atheism has to prove there is no God in order to be as successful as religion
He is correct. Atheism is extremely hard to sell. As a matter of fact, most atheists do not remain atheist all of their lives. Atheism has the shortest retention level when compared to other religions or sociological collective units (see: http://www.sacerdotus.com/2012/06/with-age-comes-wisdom.html). Atheism does not last long in individuals nor is it as successful as religion because the human being is hardwired for belief in God. However, this idea is not new. Biologists, psychologists, sociologists and other scientists who deal with the human organism have always theorized that religion and God play an important role in the human species. We are even predisposed to belief in God and the afterlife via the VMAT2 gene.

Both scientists quoted here in this post allude to the fact that even atheists are not really atheists. Atheists do not exist if we really think about it. Since atheists are human beings and human beings are predisposed to believe in God, then there can be no atheist. They are already part of the belief club, so to speak. Moreover, the fact that atheists still inquire about God and religion despite already making a decision not to believe is very telling. I wrote a post on this as well where I looked deep into the question: "Why do atheists care about God?" You can read that here: http://www.sacerdotus.com/2012/12/why-do-atheists-care-about-god.html

In this post, I wrote:

Atheism is often described as a belief that there is no God/never was one.Despite this bold claim, Atheists are still fixated on God. This is interesting because let's say:

Person A does not like carrots and Person B does.

Being that Person A despises carrots he/she will not even contemplate it; whereas Person B loves carrots and will contemplate them.

So why do Atheists care about a being that does not exist, is fictional - a myth?

*I'm an atheist I don't believe in God but spend so much time asking about this God and questioning Him

It makes absolutely no sense to say you do not believe in something yet spend a lot of time inquiring on it. This is what atheists tend to do. From Dawkins to the common Twitter atheist troll, we see nothing but an indirect and implicit search for God and religion via the inquiries and satire. A true atheist in ever sense of the word would just reject the idea of God and not dwell on it ever again. Interestingly enough, we do not see this in any atheist. It seems they have an inner desire to bring up God in any discussion. Look around Google and see the many atheist blogs. What do they mostly write about? Evolution? Cosmic inflation? No. They write mostly about God and religion. The idea of God and religion is constantly on their minds. This is why atheists don't exist. Atheism seems to be just a front based on pride that blocks the individual's implicit search for God and religion.

Report each atheist account found on each hashtag. Make sure you do it for ALL of them. Also file a report for harassment and be very specific, show tweets that demonstrate a pattern of abuse. Include links and the narrative. Here are some examples Scene 1: You are being stalked or mentioned. Write this:"This/These accounts have been harassing me on your service. They stalk my twitter timeline and constantly abuse the reply/mention feature. The accounts are in violation of your rules as found here: https://support.twitter.com/articles/18311. In light of the abuse Zelda Williams and others have received, it is important that Twitter does something to stop abuse otherwise people will leave your service for one where they feel safe. Please suspend this/these accounts. Scene 2: A group of atheists messages you and all tweet similarly. Make sure you report each and mention each in your report. Write this:"These accounts (list each here) are harassing me and abusing your mentions feature. They are overlapping serial accounts who are tweeting the same thing to me. They are in clear violation of your rules as found here: https://support.twitter.com/articles/18311. Please suspend each of these accounts. Scene 3: Atheists are calling you "Manny" or "Sacerdotus." Write this:"The follow accounts are being abusive by attempting to place an identity on me that is not mine in order to cause disruption and an atmosphere of abuse and taunting. Please suspend these accounts. I will update this as more information comes in regarding atheist tactics. See the video below on how to report for spam and file reports. UPDATE DECEMBER 5, 2014: Twitter is changing how to make reports. See the video in their Tweet:

Comment on my sacerdotus.wordpress.com page in the comments on any post and I will give you a list of known abusive accounts. We can get them all suspended easily. Atheists do not have a great reputation in society as is.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

The World Cup is almost over. We have seen many heart breaking losses from the elimination of the United States of America which became a fan favorite to the elimination of the team of the host nation, Brazil. The matches were exciting and brought tears to all, including the players.

However, the deciding match is being talked about with much excitement as well but maybe for the reason you're not expecting. Germany and Argentina both made it to the finals. I think we know two people who are German and Argentinian... eh.. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.

The media and others are speculating as to whether or not this match will put both Popes against each other. This sure makes for some innocent fun, but I seriously doubt either Pope will take this game seriously. Pope Emeritus is a known intellectual who like me, finds great pleasure in reading, writing and thinking about thinking. Pope Francis, however, is known to be an avid fan of "futbol" or soccer as we call it here, so he may have more interest in the match.

Nevertheless, the Vatican made it clear that neither Pope will take sides. Both will most likely be in bed while the match is taking place in Brazil and will only learn of who was victorious in the morning when the papers reach the coffee tables. Once an ordained man is elected Pope, he loses all ties to his nation of birth and becomes the Head of State of the Vatican and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church. That being said, the Pope belongs to all of the world showing the universality of the Church, not just a specific nation.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

"When the debate is lost, the loser uses slander as a tool;" I paraphrase Socrates here to begin this post regarding an attack against religious sisters in the United States of America.

"NOW" or the "National Organization of Women" which prides itself as being the "representative" of women and is run by feminists is being hypocritical once again.

They often like to trump the fictitious "war on women" rhetoric putting women against men believing men are somehow out to get women as if men were a collective "boogeyman" of sort. However, they are attacking other women now (no pun intended): religious sisters or "nuns."

"NOW" has made a list on their site listing the plaintiffs of the "Hobby Lobby" case. The list is entitled, "Dirty 100." Among this list are the Little Sisters of the Poor who are known for their charity work, especially their care of the elderly. Being that they are a religious order, they had no choice but to oppose the demands made by "Obamacare" in regards to paying for contraception and the like. These sisters were defending their "bodily autonomy"- to borrow from the feminists. Ironically, "NOW" is attacking these women who only wish for bodily autonomy in preventing the government from telling them how to use their conscience.

See the hypocrisy? "NOW" and other feminists claim men are out to get women by "controlling" their bodies via legislation. However, when religious women fight the "men" in court to prevent themselves from being controlled, they are labeled "dirty" by these feminists. These people are "NOW" are something else aren't they!? Moreover, they attacked Catholicism on their site in general.

Can someone say hypocrite and sore loser? Somebody call the 'wambulance' for "NOW."

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Just when you think peace is coming to the Middle East after the visit of Pope Francis and he invites leaders of Israel and Palestine to talk peace... It seems both regions are about to start "World War III..."

It began when three Israeli teenagers, Eyal Yifrach, 19; Naftali Fraenkel and Gilad Shaer, both 16 went missing after going hiking. Immediately Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the Palestinians, particularly the group Hamas. He vowed to have Israel respond if the youths were not returned. However, the bodies of the three Jewish students were found by a roadside which further escalated the anger on the part of the Prime Minister and Israelis who saw it as an attack against Israel.

During a raid looking for the three teenagers, Mohammed Dodeen; a 13 year old Palestinian was shot in the chest and killed. Shortly after the bodies of the three Jewish students were found, another Palestinian teenager, Mohammed Abu Khdeir was kidnapped by three Israelis and was set on fire while still alive. If that is not bad enough, Israeli police beat 15 year old American citizen Tariq Abu Khdeir unconscious leaving his face disfigured with bruises and swelling.

The whole situation is just horrendous. There is no respect for life on either side. How can anyone just kidnap children, or kill then with a bullet through the head or even set them on fire to burn alive? It is just mind boggling that these things still exist in 2014. This tribal justice must be stopped and civility brought in to replace it. Israel and Palestine must wake up and realize that people are dying for no reason other than ego and territorial aggression. In the Holy Land which is the land where most of the Biblical accounts took place; the land where Christ the Lord was born, it is just disturbing to hear of so much anger, hatred, violence and evil take place there.

If extraterrestrial life does exist elsewhere in the universe and can intercept our news broadcasts, then it is no wonder why they haven't come over here to visit us! Who would visit this world full of so much evil? Where is Klaatu when we need him? Perhaps we need to design our own version of "Gort" to keep us from destroying ourselves. When will we set aside materialism, ego and prejudices? Land is just land, beliefs are just beliefs; what matters is life and preserving it. How many more children and adults will have to die in Israel and Palestine until both nations wake up and set aside their difference and work for the common good?

Monday, July 7, 2014

Pope Francis met with six victims of sex abuse by Catholic clergy. He said in what the media is calling one of the strongest condemnations of the sex abuse scandal:

"Before God and his people, I express my sorrow for the sins and grave crimes of clerical sexual abuse committed against you. And I humbly ask forgiveness, the sexual abuse of minors by priests and other men of the cloth required the church to "make reparation."

This is not the first time a Pope has met with victims of sex abuse. Saint John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI have met with them in the past. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI took on the scandals head on by removing priests and bishops. Our current Pontiff is continuing to clean up the Church of this filth.

However, groups such as "SNAP are not content with today's meeting. They seem to think that the Pope has power to arrest and prosecute people as secular governments do. The Church can only defrock clerics, they cannot arrest anyone. Moreover, if civil authorities cannot prosecute these defrocked clerics, then the problem lies with local laws, not the Church. More needs to be done to either extent statutes of limitations or remove them completely.

In my opinion, more needs to be done to address this scandal. Meetings with victims, drafting charters are not enough. The Vatican must go after those bishops and heads of religious provinces who transferred abusive priests around knowing they were problematic. As long as these "leaders" remain in power or in good standing, then any attempt to remedy the scandals via meetings and what not will be seen as "show."

Here is the full text of the Pope's words today:

HOLY MASS IN THE CHAPEL OF THE DOMUS SANCTAE MARTHAEWITH A GROUP OF CLERGY SEX ABUSE VICTIMSHOMILY OF POPE FRANCISMonday, 7 July 2014

The scene where Peter sees Jesus emerge after a terrible interrogation… Peter whose eyes meet the gaze of Jesus and weeps… This scene comes to my mind as I look at you, and think of so many men and women, boys and girls. I feel the gaze of Jesus and I ask for the grace to weep, the grace for the Church to weep and make reparation for her sons and daughters who betrayed their mission, who abused innocent persons. Today, I am very grateful to you for having travelled so far to come here.For some time now I have felt in my heart deep pain and suffering. So much time hidden, camouflaged with a complicity that cannot be explained until someone realized that Jesus was looking and others the same… and they set about to sustain that gaze.And those few who began to weep have touched our conscience for this crime and grave sin. This is what causes me distress and pain at the fact that some priests and bishops, by sexually abusing minors, violated their innocence and their own priestly vocation. It is something more than despicable actions. It is like a sacrilegious cult, because these boys and girls had been entrusted to the priestly charism in order to be brought to God. And those people sacrificed them to the idol of their own concupiscence. They profane the very image of God in whose likeness we were created. Childhood, as we all know, young hearts, so open and trusting, have their own way of understanding the mysteries of God’s love and are eager to grow in the faith. Today the heart of the Church looks into the eyes of Jesus in these boys and girls and wants to weep; she asks the grace to weep before the execrable acts of abuse which have left life long scars.I know that these wounds are a source of deep and often unrelenting emotional and spiritual pain, and even despair. Many of those who have suffered in this way have also sought relief in the path of addiction. Others have experienced difficulties in significant relationships, with parents, spouses and children. Suffering in families has been especially grave, since the damage provoked by abuse affects these vital family relationships.Some have even had to deal with the terrible tragedy of the death of a loved one by suicide. The deaths of these so beloved children of God weigh upon the heart and my conscience and that of the whole Church. To these families I express my heartfelt love and sorrow. Jesus, tortured and interrogated with passionate hatred, is taken to another place and he looks out. He looks out upon one of his own torturers, the one who denied him, and he makes him weep. Let us implore this grace together with that of making amends.Sins of clerical sexual abuse against minors have a toxic effect on faith and hope in God. Some of you have held fast to faith, while for others the experience of betrayal and abandonment has led to a weakening of faith in God. Your presence here speaks of the miracle of hope, which prevails against the deepest darkness. Surely it is a sign of God’s mercy that today we have this opportunity to encounter one another, to adore God, to look in one another’s eyes and seek the grace of reconciliation.Before God and his people I express my sorrow for the sins and grave crimes of clerical sexual abuse committed against you. And I humbly ask forgiveness.I beg your forgiveness, too, for the sins of omission on the part of Church leaders who did not respond adequately to reports of abuse made by family members, as well as by abuse victims themselves. This led to even greater suffering on the part of those who were abused and it endangered other minors who were at risk.On the other hand, the courage that you and others have shown by speaking up, by telling the truth, was a service of love, since for us it shed light on a terrible darkness in the life of the Church. There is no place in the Church’s ministry for those who commit these abuses, and I commit myself not to tolerate harm done to a minor by any individual, whether a cleric or not. All bishops must carry out their pastoral ministry with the utmost care in order to help foster the protection of minors, and they will be held accountable.What Jesus says about those who cause scandal applies to all of us: the millstone and the sea (cf. Mt 18:6).By the same token we will continue to exercise vigilance in priestly formation. I am counting on the members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, all minors, whatever religion they belong to, they are little flowers which God looks lovingly upon.I ask this support so as to help me ensure that we develop better policies and procedures in the universal Church for the protection of minors and for the training of church personnel in implementing those policies and procedures. We need to do everything in our power to ensure that these sins have no place in the Church.Dear brothers and sisters, because we are all members of God’s family, we are called to live lives shaped by mercy. The Lord Jesus, our Savior, is the supreme example of this; though innocent, he took our sins upon himself on the cross. To be reconciled is the very essence of our shared identity as followers of Jesus Christ. By turning back to him, accompanied by our most holy Mother, who stood sorrowing at the foot of the cross, let us seek the grace of reconciliation with the entire people of God. The loving intercession of Our Lady of Tender Mercy is an unfailing source of help in the process of our healing.You and all those who were abused by clergy are loved by God. I pray that the remnants of the darkness which touched you may be healed by the embrace of the Child Jesus and that the harm which was done to you will give way to renewed faith and joy.I am grateful for this meeting. And please pray for me, so that the eyes of my heart will always clearly see the path of merciful love, and that God will grant me the courage to persevere on this path for the good of all children and young people. Jesus comes forth from an unjust trial, from a cruel interrogation and he looks in the eyes of Peter, and Peter weeps. We ask that he look at us and that we allow ourselves to be looked upon and to weep and that he give us the grace to be ashamed, so that, like Peter, forty days later, we can reply: “You know that I love you”; and hear him say: “go back and feed my sheep” – and I would add – “let no wolf enter the sheepfold”.

Friday, July 4, 2014

We celebrate Independence day. Over two hundred years ago, our American ancestors won the American Revolution defeating the great empire of Great Britain.

This defeat would bring about a new nation never before seen on Earth. Its ideas would be innovative and radical. For centuries, societies lived in a social class system with a royal or emperor leading the people. People were born into a specific social class and could not advance from it because the rules were not set to be fair for all.

The rich took advantage of this and the poor could do nothing but face the consequences of having the rich dominate them. In Europe, Catholicism was the major religion that dominated. It was the only Christian faith until the schism where the Eastern Church separated. Eventually an Augustinian priest named Martin Luther would start a reformation that would further divide the Church. From this reformation which was more like a deformation, thousands of new sects were born. Each with specific founders who interpreted Sacred Scripture according to his opinions. Because of this, there were battles among each group with each claiming to be the "true Church" or version of Christianity.

Fallen human nature took over and Christianity became a battlefield. Those sects with larger numbers, more wealth and political sway dominated the lesser ones. This forced many of the lesser groups to unite and flee to the "New World" which at the time was considered "discovered" by Christopher Columbus. These believers left their home to reach this new land. They purchased contracts with specific companies that would take them aboard ships to this new land. Once here, they formed their own colonies with their own rules. Massachusetts bay became the land of Puritans, Pennsylvania the land of the Quakers, Maryland the land of Catholics, etc etc.

Religious freedom was probably the main reason why America even exists. Our ancestors fled their
homelands in Europe to this strange new land in order to set up regions where they can live freely and worship as they believed. Ironically, this land which became a safe haven for religious freedom is becoming the Europe of the time of the early settlers.
Religion is being pushed aside as something that is done in private; something that no one should know of or see. In a sense, it is being pushed into the category of using the bathroom or showering which are things we do privately and that no one needs to know about in detail. Religious freedom is one of the fundamental rights human beings have which are given to them by their Creator. It is no wonder why our Founding Fathers made this clear in the Declaration of Independence.

The recent decision regarding "Hobby Lobby" is a good sign. Conscience rights and religious rights were placed on the pedestal again. But more needs to be done to secure these sacred rights given to us by the Creator. Our government is becoming more and more tyrannical. It is serving the interest of minority tyrannical groups which seek to devalue life to the point of putting one human's right to exist over another's; deform the institution of marriage which is established in the natural norm; and created a

valueless unjust society where no guiding principles govern the common good of all. Our nation is wounded. The Eagle is injured and about to crash onto the hard land. We need to call on the Holy Spirit to come and help the Eagle fly once again; to sore the Heavens within the presence of Almighty God.

The Declaration of Independence states that if our rights are pushed aside and our government becomes tyrannical, we the people must abolish it and begin a new government. Perhaps our Founding Fathers knew that America would begin to implode in the future? Moreover, is it time for we the people to abolish our current government and form a new one? Only time will tell. If things continue to go as they are going in our nation, perhaps it is indeed the time to withdraw the consent of the governed that keeps the government in power.

Let us pray to God to whom our nation is under that He will rescue our nation. Happy Birthday America! Happy Fourth of July to all! May God bless the United States of America and all nations on Earth.

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